Russian Helicopters: U.S. Will Buy Mi-17s for Afghanistan

BY Douglas Nelms

Oboronprom subsidiary Russian Helicopters expects to sell Mi-17 helicopters to the United States intended for the Afghan military, despite opposition from members of the U.S. Congress.

Sergey Yarkovoy, deputy chief executive officer and chief financial officer at Russian Helicopters, said that “despite domestic opposition in the U.S., there is no alternative to our equipment for the tasks for which the U.S. is buying our helicopters,” according to a report from Bloomberg News.

The report indicated that the Pentagon has already paid $411 million to Rosoboronexport for 21 Mi-17 helicopters since May 2011. Rosoboronexport is a Moscow-based state-run monopoly arms trader. The United States is reportedly also planning to buy an additional 12 Russian helicopters for Afghanistan. The Mi-17 has been a major part of the Afghan helicopter fleet since the 1980s. However, Russia has been selling weapons to Syria and blocking the United Nations from sanctions on Syria, which has caused significant criticism from the U.S. Congress. Read more in Rotor & Wing’s Dubai Show Day available at the event.Related:Procurement News